Cosmo is home after a week on the run in Wappingers Falls, NY. Cosmo is a Kai Ken, a rare ancient Japanese breed, highly intelligent, known wanderers and bred for hunting so they can fend for themselves. This capture was not going to be an easy one.
There were no sightings of Cosmo for days. I began working with the family on Monday and figured out quickly that he was not going far, I had him on camera that night, all night long. He was not being chased or pursued so he was staying put in the area and hiding in the woods. Although he was very intrigued by the trap, he was just not food motivated to step foot in. I monitored him morning, noon and night, keeping the trap freshly baited at all times so he knew there was a food source. We even left the front door of the house open all night long, baited with yummy cheeseburgers in the hopes that he would just walk in, but he would just stare up at the open doorway. He just wasn't ready for his adventure to be over quite yet.
A family of feisty skunks caught wind of the food and moved in on the trap, keeping Cosmo away at night. When the sun would come up the skunks would leave and Cosmo would return. This morning Cosmo was walking back down the driveway to the trap, spotted his owner and bolted in to the back woods. After three all nighters, I headed over again set the trap and waited. Cosmo eventually came back and just as he was finally making progress and sticking his head into the trap, the landscapers showed up and Cosmo was off...yet again.
I waited and waited and as I sat in my car waiting for my camera to go off, a beautiful cardinal landed on the guard rail in front of me. In that moment, I knew Cosmo would be safe soon. Within the hour, just as the thunder and rain began I received a text that Cosmo was safe at the neighbors down the road, but this wasn't just any neighbor, this is where his girlfriend, Boo lived. As the thunder hit he had made a b-line to Boo's house, he finally had enough of the great outdoors. He cried loudly at the gate and Boo's mom, Cynthia heard his cries, came outside, opened the gate and he walked right in. Just like that, after all that running, a love struck Cosmo decided that his grand adventure was over... and true to the breed...on his terms. When I got there he had a little smile on his face, that little stinker looked so damn proud of himself.
Welcome home Cosmo!
Cosmo from Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery on Vimeo.
